True Love's Kiss
by BurtonFan23
Summary: Santana needs to fix things with Brittany. Ever since she told her that she loved her, they've been drifting apart. Maybe the next Glee assignment could help them get things back on track. Please review/comment, feedback appreciated ;  Brittana fluff-ish
1. Chapter 1: I Won't Say I'm In Love

**True Love's Kiss**

_Ok, so I've been reading an insane amount of Brittana fanfics during the hiatus and this is my first shot at trying to write one myself. I tried not to make Artie a creep or anything because, I think he really is an admirable character and that he cares about Brittany... She's just not meant to be with him. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy ;) _

_**Disclaimer:**__ All Glee characters belong to Fox Network. All the songs are the property of Disney. Mr. Shuester sings Why Should I Worry from Oliver and Company. Finn sings So Close from Enchanted. Santana sings I Won't Say I'm in Love from Hercules. _

Chapter 1: I Won't Say I'm In Love

Santana sat in the corner of choir room leaning on Sam's shoulder, gazing at the tall blonde from the corner of her eye, with something more akin to longing than her usual scowl. It was Monday morning and the Glee kids were gathered in their usual groups discussing their weekends. Sam went on and on excitedly about his weekend, completely oblivious to the Latina's obvious disinterest. Mr. Shue then waltzed into the room, visibly enthusiastic to announce their new assignment for the week. He energetically scribbled a word onto the board.

"Disney!" he exclaimed. "What comes to mind when you hear this word?"

"Princesses!" beamed Brittany.

"Ohhhh Belle's ball gown..." started Quinn.

"Jasmine's hair..." contributed Santana.

"...Aladdin's abs!" said Tina a little louder than she should have, receiving an amused glance from Mike.

Mr. Shue cleared his throat breaking the awkward silence and continued.

"For many of us, Disney movies represent childhood. The songs of Disney musicals are classics, and I am sure that several of your first performances took place in front of your TV screens singing along to your favorite Disney pieces. So, this week your assignment will be to choose a Disney song that represents you and perform it right here. It can be a solo or a duet, whatever you want." He paused for a moment before adding, "I just want you to recapture that pure joy of singing and performing. If we can do that, we'll be right track to winning Nationals!"

"Mr. Shue," asked Puck, "does it absolutely _have_ to be Disney? I mean, no offense, but Disney was never really my thing."

"If you really don't feel comfortable, just pick a song from your childhood, something that brings back your love of performing. I think everyone should be able to find something they feel comfortable with though."

"From Disney? Mr. Shue, all those songs are about loooove, and dreams, and whatever. It's not really guy stuff!" said Puck as the girls loudly protested.

"Reeeeeaaally? Well, lets just see about that huh?" mr. Shue replied challengingly. Then, looking over at the band, he characteristically cued "Hit it!"

As the band began to play, Mr. Shue slipped on a pair of sunglasses before starting to sing.

__One minute I'm in Central Park!  
>Then I'm down on Delancey Street<em>_

Smiles and laughter went around the room as the students recognized the tune.

__From the Bow'ry to St Marks, huh  
>There's a syncopated beat<em>_

Finn skipped joyfully to the drums and started to sing with mr. Shue.

__Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo  
>I'm streetwise<br>I can improvise__

Mr. Shuester began to dance around the room as he and Finn harmonized.

__Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo  
>I'm street-smart<br>I've got New York City heart__

__Why should I worry?  
>Why should I care?<br>Say, I may not have a dime  
>But I've got street savoir-faire<br>__

As the chorus went on, all of the Glee kids started dancing around to the song (even Puck!) Mercedes gave mr. Shue a smile as she sang the rest of the chorus.

__Why should I worry?  
>Why should I care?<br>It's just bebopulation  
>And I've got street savoir-faire<br>__

__The rhythm of the city  
>Oh once you get it down<br>Then you can own this town  
>You can wear the crown!<br>__

__Why should I worry?  
>Tell me, why should I care?<br>Say, I may not have a dime  
>But I've got street savoir-faire<br>__

__Why should I worry?  
>Why should I care?<br>It's just bebopulation  
>And I've got street savoir-faire<br>__

Quinn and Rachel chimed in as mr. Shue passed by them.

_(_Everything goes, everything fits)  
>They love me at the Chelsea<br>They adore me at the Ritz!__

The entire club harmonized at the outro.

__Why should we worry?  
>Why should we care?<br>And even when we cross that line  
>We've got street savoir-faire<br>__

Everyone laughed together as the song concluded. Puck nodded in defeat as the bell rang.

"Whooo! Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" exclaimed mr. Shue, "Everyone work on your songs and we'll start performances tomorrow!"

...

Brittany saw Santana walk past her in the hall, her head held high, Sam at her side, and it made her uncomfortable. Santana avoided Brittany's pleading puppy-dog eyes as she passed her, ignoring her completely. Brittany turned back to Artie.

"Do you want to sing a duet for the Glee assignment?" he asked her, while she searched her locker for her Spanish book. "We could do _A Whole New World. _I know how much you love Aladdin."

"Do you think Santana'll sing a duet with Sam?" she answered absent-mindedly.

"You really miss her don't you? Why has she been ignoring you Brittany?" he asked, genuinely curious. "I mean she's always been kind of a biatch but I thought you guys were really close..."

"Yeah..." was her only answer.

She closed her locker and pushed her concerned boyfriend to his next class, looking down at her feet sadly, not noticing the latina glancing back at her from the other end of the hall...

...

"Are you and Brittany fighting or something?" Quinn whispered, leaning closer to Santana's desk.

"What?" questioned Santana, visibly irritated.

For her only response, Quinn turned to Brittany whose chin rested on her palm, a puppy-dog expression still etched across her face. She then turned back to Santana, catching a fleeting look of regret.

"What's going on?" Quinn pressed on.

Santana sighed, "Just stay out of it Fabray," she replied much less convincingly.

"Whatever you did, you should try and patch things up with her. Seeing her this sad freaks me out. Yesterday, I asked her if she wanted to go to Breadstix and she started crying and mumbling something about dolphins..."

"Why do you assume I did something?" Santana replied, growing increasingly annoyed.

Quinn raised her eyebrow and glared at Santana incredulously. "Fix it!" she added.

This time, Santana paused before answering. It pained her to see her best friend, the girl she now knew she was ridiculously in love with, so hurt...but Brittany had hurt her first! And for what? For little mr. Stubbles McCripplePants? Just the thought of it made her blood boil!...Still, as hard as it had been to even be in the same room these as Brittany these last few weeks, after what had happened, seeing her like this made her feel maybe even worse.

"I don't know how..." she finally answered feebly.

"You could sing her a song in Glee club," Quinn suggested, softening, "if there's one thing Brittany loves, it's Disney...well, Disney and you."

Santana couldn't keep but blush at this assumption.

"Alright fine! But you're going to help Tubbers!" she retorted embarrassed at the emotion she was displaying.

"Suuuuure, since you ask sooooo nicely," Quinn answered, a smug grin plastered on her face.

...

The next day, Santana marched into the choir room followed closely by Mercedes and Quinn. Brittany was sitting in the front row, staring at her feet, no longer expecting to receive any kind of attention from the Latina, when...

"Hey Brit-Brit!" called a familiar voice.

Brittany looked up, unable to hide the endearing mixture of surprise and joy that her expression conveyed. Santana giggled and gave her a warm smile as she walked towards her, but before she could reach her, she was cut off by Artie...

"Hey Santana, can we talk?" he asked, looking as serious as she'd ever seen him.

Santana looked down at him and gave him a scowl. "What wheelie? I needz to talk to Britts, so unless it's reallyyy _urgent_, I must _urge_ you to get outta my way!"

"Actually, it can't wait," he replied coldly.

Santana glanced over at Brittany again who was now looking confused and disappointed as her eyes shifted from Artie to Santana, frowning her eyebrows.

Santana sighed, "Whaaat is it?"

Artie hesitated a moment and answered, "It's about Brittany...Can we go somewhere?"

Santana rolled her eyes, and reticently followed Artie out of the room, looking back at Brittany. Artie led her down the hall and into an empty classroom.

"Alright wheelie, this had better be good," she said firmly, arms crossed over her chest and hip cocked to one side.

"You need to stay away from Brittany," he began calmly.

Santana just raised her eyebrow and gave him a look that had "you can't be serious" written all over it.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Artie asked challengingly.

"I'm waiting for the excruciatingly long and ridiculous explanation I'm sure your cripple little brain has come up with to convince me to do something that I really don't wanna do," she answered, her stance not weakening in the least.

"You're no good for her Santana. You can't take care of her. You're unstable. You're up, you're down, you're all over the place and you drag Brittany along with you! She's so sweet and innocent. She needs someone who will look out for her and not just for number one!" He paused for a moment, thrown off by Santana's reaction to his speech, or lack thereof, and continued weakly, "I know you guys fooled around...and I forgive her for that. What I don't forgive is you using her like that, convincing her that cheating's ok just so that you can have your fun with her and then drop her when you've had enough, when it's not convenient to you anymore! You're messing with people's feelings Santana!"

At this, Santana's eyes flashed and she finally reacted. Her retaliation was sharp, immediate and well-calculated. Artie receded in his chair, clearly overpowered by the Latina.

"Ok, first of all, it's extremely offensive that you _actually_ believe Britt is that freakin' naive. I didn't _con_ her into anything. Believe it or not, she's a big girl, she makes her own decisions and she knew exactly what she was doing. Second of all, did it ever cross your mind that what she needs isn't someone who can cradle her and treat her like a toddler, but someone who's willing to push her? You're her boyfriend Artie, not her daddy, so get over yourself! P.S. I would never use Brittany! She's the only person in this sorry school worth talking to! Now are you finished? 'Cause I'd really like to get back to Glee practice now."

A flash of worry swept Artie's face for a moment as she leaned down next to his wheel chair and added. "Oh and next time, you might want to actually get Brittany's side of the story instead of just assuming that you know everything about everyone 'cause news flash, Cripples, there's a lot about Britts that you don't know, a hell of a lot more about me, and you don't know squat about _us_!"

With that, Santana stood back up, proud as ever, turned on her heels and walked out, leaving a bewildered Artie behind her.

...

Finn was already setting up for his number by the time Santana walked back into the choir room. She saw that Quinn and Mercedes were sitting on the second row. However, after giving them a nod as she came in, she opted to sit next to Brittany in the front. The blond looked at her questioningly, but Santana remained silent and simply raised her pinky between them, her expression still stern from the previous conversation. Brittany eyed it for a moment and, to Santana's surprise, didn't take it in hers but wrapped her arms around her friend's neck instead, placing a quick peck on her cheek.

"I missed you San," she whispered into the Latina's ear.

She flushed and whispered back, "I missed you too Britt..."

Artie wheeled into the room at that moment, his expression cold and unreadable. He smiled weakly at his girlfriend before settling at the end of the row next to Finn's empty seat. The room quieted as Finn introduced his number.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to my girlfriend, Quinn," he said with a smile. Quinn looked back at him lovingly, relieved by the long-awaited declaration of their relationship to the rest of the club. Finn cleared his throat as Tina began to play the piano.

_You're in my arms  
>And all the world is calm<br>The music playing on for only two  
>So close together<br>And when I'm with you  
>So close to feeling alive<br>_

Rachel glanced back and forth between Finn and Quinn, a mix of envy and longing in her eyes as tears gathered in them.

_A life goes by  
>Romantic dreams must die<br>So I bid mine goodbye and never knew  
>So close was waiting, waiting here with you<br>And now forever I know  
>All that I want is to hold you<br>So close  
><em>

_So close to reaching that famous happy ending  
>Almost believing this one's not pretending<br>Now you're beside me and look how far we've come  
>So far, we are, so close<br>_

_How could I face the faceless days  
>If I should lose you now? <em>

_We're so close  
>To reaching that famous happy ending<br>Almost believing this one's not pretending  
>Let's go on dreaming for we know we are<br>So close, so close, and still so far_

As the song concluded, Quinn got up and walked to Finn. She slipped her arms around him and reached up as he leaned in to kiss her adoringly. Rachel looked away. The rest of the club applauded.

"That was great!" mr. Shue encouraged, "Lets all give Finn another round of applause! Whooo! Now, who wants to go next?"

"I'll go mr. Shue," Santana volunteered, to everyone's surprise.

"Alright, great! Show us what you got," invited mr. Shue.

Santana walked to the front, Mercedes and Quinn behind her, and winked at Brittany who returned a smile. She nodded to the band and started singing.

_If there's a prize for rotten judgement  
>I guess I've already won that<br>Nobody's worth the aggravation  
>That's ancient history,<br>Been there, done that  
><em>

As she sang those last few lines she waved dismissively at Sam and Puck. Quinn and Mercedes chimed in as the song continued, Santana taking the lead and the two other girls acting as her conscience. They danced in sync as Santana walked around the room gesturing. They teased and flipped her around throughout the performance, making her face Brittany.

_(Who'd ya think you're kiddin'  
>She's the Earth and heaven to you<br>Try to keep it hidden  
>Honey, we can see right through you<br>Girl, ya can't conceal it  
>We know how ya feel and<br>Who you're thinking of)  
><em>

_No chance, no way  
>I won't say it, no, no<br>_

_(You swoon, you sigh  
>why deny it, uh-oh)<br>_

_It's too cliché  
>I won't say I'm in love<br>_

_I thought my heart had learned its lesson  
>It feels so good when you start out<br>My head is screaming get a grip, girl  
>Unless you're dying to cry your heart out<br>Oh  
><em>

_(You keep on denying  
>Who you are and how you're feeling<br>Baby, we're not buying  
>Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling<br>Face it like a grown-up  
>When ya gonna own up<br>That ya got, got, got it bad)  
><em>

_No chance, no way  
>I won't say it, no, no<em>

_(Give up, give in  
>Check the grin you're in love)<br>_

_This scene won't play,  
>I won't say I'm in love<br>_

_(You're doin flips, read our lips  
>You're in love)<br>_

_(Shoo doo, shoo doo)  
>You're way off base<br>I won't say it  
>(She wont say it, no)<br>Get off my case  
>(Shoo da, shoo da)<br>I won't say it  
><em>

_(Girl, don't be proud  
>It's okay you're in love)<br>_

_Oh, at least out loud  
>I won't say I'm in love <em>

_(Sha la lalalala, aah)_

Brittany jumped up and applauded enthusiastically. The rest of the club laughed and cheered at the performance. The girls took their seats as the applause died down. Santana then leaned over to Brittany.

"Did you like it?" she whispered.

"I _loved_ it!" the blonde responded, beaming.

"It was for you Britts," Santana added, looking into Brittany's eyes.

To this, Brittany didn't say anything, but leaned her head onto the Latina's shoulder, a content expression on her face. Santana was smug with achievement as she linked their pinkies together.

Artie stared at them from afar, lost in thought, wondering what his next move ought to be. He wasn't going to buy into any of Santana's games, even though he couldn't for the life of him figure out what she was playing at...


	2. Chapter 2: Baby Mine

**True Love's Kiss**

_Ok, so I've been reading an insane amount of Brittana fanfics during the hiatus and this is my first shot at trying to write one myself. I tried not to make Artie a creep or anything because, I think he really is an admirable character and that he cares about Brittany... She's just not meant to be with him. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy ;) _

_**Disclaimer:**__ All Glee characters belong to Fox Network. All the songs are the property of Disney. The song when Santana is coming home is Reflection from Mulan. The songs when Brittany is in her room are Strangers Like Me from Tarzan, When Somebody Loved Me from Toy Story 2, You've Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story, and finally Beauty and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Rachel sings Tomorrow from Annie. Puck sings The Bear Necessities from the Jungle Book. Quinn sings A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. Brittany sings Baby Mine from Dumbo. _

Chapter 2: Baby Mine

Artie rolled towards Brittany's locker as he watched her joyfully texting. He sat in front of her for a moment and cleared his throat to get her attention. Brittany looked down and her expression lost some of its glimmer.

"Hi Artie," she said somewhat less softly than usual.

"Hey Brittany," he feigned not to notice, "so I was wondering if you'd made up your mind about singing a duet for Glee club?"

She stared at him silently for a second before frowning and asking, "what did you have to talk to Santana about yesterday?"

He sighed, "why do so many of our conversations end up being about Santana? Can't we just forget about her for once?"

As soon as the words had slipped out of his mouth, Artie regretted them.

"She's important to me Artie. She's important to me like you're important to me," she defended, never raising her voice.

"_Like _I'm important to you? Brittany...do you have feelings for her?" he inquired.

"She's my best friend," she replied.

"No, Brittany. Do you have feelings for her like you have feelings for me?" he persisted.

"...I don't know," she admitted after a moment. "It's just different with her, Artie. Are you mad?"

Artie sighed. "No, I'm not mad. But I think maybe we need to take a break Brittany...You need to figure out what your feelings towards Santana are. I don't want you to feel like you're trapped in this relationship. I want you to be with me because you love me, not just because you think it's the right thing to do."

"I do love you Artie," she whispered softly looking at him with those puppy-dog eyes.

"I know Brittany, and I love you too. I'm just not sure that you're still _in _love with me," he corrected, tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." she said, looking genuinely apologetic.

"Yeah...so am I," he added before rolling away from her.

She watched him sadly turn the corner at the end of the hall. Her eyes filled with tears and she felt a lump in her throat. Her lips parted slightly, as if to call him back, but the seconds passed and no sound escaped her mouth.

...

Santana took a deep breath as she readjusted her make-up. She stared into her own eyes in the reflection of the rearview mirror. When had it become so difficult?

__Look at me  
>You may think you see who I really am<br>But you'll never know me__

She grabbed her backpack from the back seat and got out of the car. The walk up her steps felt interminable. It felt like the calm before the storm.

__Everyday, it's as if I play a part  
>Now I see, if I wear a mask I can fool the world<br>But I cannot fool my heart  
><em>_

She searched her bag for her keys. When she didn't find them right away, she looked up, considering whether she should just ring the doorbell. She caught a glimpse of herself in the window of her front door.

__Who is that girl I see  
>Staring straight back at me?<br>When will my reflection show who I am inside?__

Ultimately, she decided against it and kept inspecting her bag, thinking to herself that it would delay getting back into the house, and the version of herself that she had grown most foreign to.

...

Brittany laid on her stomach in her bed playing with her cell phone. She hadn't received a text message since that afternoon. She skipped back to the first message she'd gotten that day.

_Good mornan sunshine! ;) xo Artie_

Her eyes lingered on it. The initial emotion of the break-up had faded somewhat, leaving confusion and guilt in its place. She replayed the conversation in her mind over and over again wondering if she ought to have behaved differently. Had she pushed Artie away? She flipped to the next text.

_I know I've been really distant lately...it's just been hard to be around you after what happened. Things'll get better Britts, I promise. Just give it time. Love, San xox_

_Love_...The image of her best friend in tears came to her mind and she cringed. Santana had looked so broken in that moment. How had she managed to hurt so much two of the people she cared most about? Memories of both Artie and Santana floated in her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. She turned to lay on her back and began to shuffle through her i-pod, looking for a song she could sing in Glee club.

__Whatever you do, I do it too  
>Show me everything, tell me how<br>It all means something, and yet nothing to me__

Her gaze wandered to a picture frame on her bedside table. It was from Cheer camp a few years prior.

__I can see there's so much to learn  
>It's all so close and yet so far<br>I see myself as people see me  
>I see before me a new horizon<br>__

That's where she and Santana had met during junior high. The Latina had her arms wrapped around her in the picture and they were both laughing, wearing the friendship bracelets they had bought that very day. Brittany looked at her wrist, and the bracelet she still wore. After a moment, she dropped her arm back onto the bed and changed song.

__When somebody loved me  
>Everything was beautiful<br>Every hour we spent together lives within my heart  
>And when she was sad<em><br>I was there to dry her tears  
>And when she was happy so was I<br>When she loved me_ __

Tears began to gather in her eyes as the song continued.

__So the years went by  
>I stayed the same<br>But she began to drift away  
>I was left alone<em><br>Still I waited for the day when she'd say  
>I will always love you<em>__

Brittany looked around her room again, not bothering to hold back the tears that were now streaming down her face. Hanging in the corner of her mirror was a picture of her and Artie. She was sitting on his lap in his wheelchair and they were both pulling faces. She couldn't help but giggle at the sight. She switched to the next song on her list.

__You've got a friend in me  
>You've got a friend in me<br>When the road looks rough ahead  
>And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed<em><br>You just remember what your old pal said  
>You've got a friend in me<br>_  
><em>_

__Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am  
>Bigger and stronger too, maybe<br>But none of them will ever love you the way I do  
>It's me and you boy<em>_

She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes before changing the song again.

__Tale as old as time  
>True as it can be<br>Barely even friends  
>Then somebody bends unexpectedly<br>__

She smiled to herself, still not opening her eyes, relishing in the memories that were coming over her.

__Just a little change  
>Small to say the least<br>Both a little scared  
>Neither one prepared<em><br>Beauty and the beast_  
><em>_

_Ever just the same  
>Ever a surprise<br>Ever as before and ever just as sure  
>As the Sun will rise<em>

Her smile widened as the song continued.

__Certain as the Sun  
>Rising in the East<br>Tale as old as time  
>Song as old as rhyme<em><br>Beauty and the beast  
><em>__

She giggled to herself. Things seemed somehow clearer now. Disney always had the answer to all of life's problems! She pulled out her ear phones, grabbed her cell phone and dialed.

"Yeeello, this is Puckasaurus," said the familiar voice on the other end.

"Hi Puck! It's Brittany!" she said, in a hurry.

"Hey Britt, what can I do you for?" he said in his usual confident tone.

"I was wondering if you could help me with my song for Glee club please?" she asked sweetly.

"mmmmm I dunno Britts, it's pretty last minute," he teased.

"Pretty pleaaaaase. Pretty please with sugar on top and everything else!" she irresistibly begged.

"Okaaayyyy, if you _insist_! What do you need?" he said obligingly. He'd always had a bit of a soft spot for Brittany anyway...but if anyone asked, he'd say he needed a little help with his own assignment anyway so, whatever.

...

The next day, Rachel was the first to walk into choir room, over-eager for her performance. Santana and Sam sat on opposite sides of the room. Santana's eyes were frowned and Quinn, who sat beside her, quickly abandoned all conversation with her. When Santana was having a bad day, it was usually better to keep a safe distance to avoid innocent casualties. Even Brittany did not merit a smile that morning, but only a small nod, which she immediately settled for. Brittany could tell just from the way the Latina let her hair fall, and how she sat nonchalantly. It was just one of those days. Artie sat next to Mercedes looking neither happy nor sad. It was a look Brittany had never seen on him before. She smiled at him nervously and he returned the gesture, looking at her warmly with eyes that spoke without speaking, and reassured her that everything would be alright. Puck pressed a hand on her shoulder and they took their seats.

"Alriiiight, now, who wants to," mr. Shue began, but before he could even finish his sentence, Rachel intervened.

"I'll go mr. Shue!" she volunteered vibrantly. She quickly took his place at the front as he bowed out before introducing her song. "Today, I chose to sing a song that I think represents me. It's about not giving up when things get hard and keeping hope through all obstacles!"

Santana opened her mouth, ready to shoot Rachel down, when she felt Quinn's hand gently tug at her arm. She turned to the blonde as if to fire back only to see her friend nod in disapproval. Santana huffed and sunk back in her seat, arms crossed over her chest. Rachel then cleared her throat and began to sing, completely unaware of the spat she'd just been saved from.

__The Sun'll come out tomorrow  
>Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow<br>There'll be Sun  
>Just thinking about tomorrow<em><br>Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow  
>'Til there's none<em>_  
><em>

_When I'm stuck a day  
>That's gray and lonely<br>I just stick out my chin  
>And grin and say,<br>_

_The Sun'll come out tomorrow  
>So ya gotta hang on 'til tomorrow<br>Come what may  
>Tomorrow! Tomorrow!<br>I love ya, tomorrow!  
>You're always a day away<em>

_When I'm stuck a day  
>That's gray and lonely<br>I just stick out my chin  
>And grin and say<br>_

_The Sun'll come out tomorrow  
>So ya gotta hang on 'til tomorrow<br>Come what may  
>Tomorrow! Tomorrow!<br>I love ya, tomorrow!  
>You're always a day away<em>

Everyone applauded loudly as Rachel panted, steadying her breath. She cheerfully bowed and went back to her seat, pleased with her latest performance. Mr. Shuester encouraged the students to cheer and once the noise had settled down proceeded to inviting another student to perform. Puck surprisingly followed Rachel's act with a rendition of _The Bare Necessities _(in which he made Brittany come in as Mowgli) and Quinn went last with _A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes_. The whole club cheered loudly after every number, reveling in nostalgia, but no-one seemed to cheer louder than Rachel that day.

...

Brittany walked towards Santana hesitantly.

"Hi," she attempted, apprehensive of the Latina's fowl mood.

"Hey Britt," she answered softly enough to let the blonde know that it was safe to talk.

"So, I wanted you to be the first to know," she said fumbling at her locker combination, "Artie and I broke up..."

"Oh," Santana turned to look at Brittany, her interest in the conversation suddenly increasing, "...What happened?" she asked, remembering the talk she had had with Artie de previous day.

"He said that he wanted me to figure out what my feelings for both of you were," she stated plainly.

Santana's eyes widened as the thoughts in her head collided. She stood there silently, looking at the woman she loved, wondering what she should do next. Brittany had heard her confession, and chosen Artie...

"Brittany..." Santana looked at those expanses of blue in Brittany's eyes, "You know how I feel about you, but I can't tell you how to feel...no-one can tell you how to feel. Artie's right, you need to figure this out on your own."

Her fingers brushed up against Brittany's arm softly. The blonde leaned into her touch slightly, sighing at the contact that had been so scarce lately.

"San, when did you know that you were in love with me?" she asked innocently, still looking straight into the Latina's hazel eyes.

"Mmm I don't think there was a single moment. It was an accumulation of things; the way my stomach churned at the thought of someone else touching you, how I couldn't imagine my life without you..." Brittany looked at her, a mixture of uncertainty and surprise at her friend's sudden openness, so Santana thought of something simpler. "You know when something happens to you and you're just dying to tell someone about it?," she waited for Brittany to nod in understanding, "Well the first person who's number you dial, the person you want to share everything with, the person who's calls you always take, that's the person you love the most Britts."

Brittany's smile widened as Santana spoke, revealing the ways in which she loved her. The latina blushed at the way the blonde stared at her with loving eyes. She cleared her throat and turned her attention to the lockers, opening Brittany's first and then her own. Brittany's eyes never left Santana, trailing up and down her body, from head to toe, as if seeing her for the first time. Santana grabbed her math book and turned to Brittany as the school bell rang across the hall. The tall blonde leaned in close, placed a gentle kiss on Santana's cheek, right by her ear, and whispered a soft goodbye before turning around and walking away. Santana felt shivers go up and down her spine, and couldn't help but smile as she walked down the hall to her own class, attracting looks of shock at the in-habitual cheerfulness that she unconsciously radiated. All of the sudden, she wasn't in such a bad mood anymore.

...

The next day, Brittany entered the choir room radiant and immediately sought a seat next to Puck. They whispered quickly, going through their number one last time. When mr. Shue called for more performances, they were the first to volunteer. Puck grabbed his guitar and walked to the front of the room, followed closely by Brittany. Neither of them bothered to introduce the song. As Puck began to pluck the strings of his guitar, Brittany gave a gentle nod in Santana's direction and their eyes locked, not looking away from each other until Brittany would stop singing at the end of the song.

_Baby mine, don't you cry  
>Baby mine, dry your eyes<br>Rest your head close to my heart  
>Never to part, baby of mine<br>_

_Lovely one when you play  
>Don't you mind what they say<br>Let those eyes sparkle and shine  
>Never a tear, baby of mine<em>

_If they knew sweet gentle you  
>They'd end up loving you too<br>All those same people who scold you  
>What they'd give just for the right to hold you<br>_

Artie hung his head, understanding Brittany's decision. He looked back up at her adoringly, amazed with her ability to see the best in people. His gaze shifted to Santana who stared into the blonde's eyes, worshiping her every word. At this, Artie couldn't help but think that maybe he had been wrong to think the worst of her after all.

_From your head down to your toes  
>You're not much, goodness knows<br>But you're so precious to me  
>Sweet as can be, baby of mine<br>_

_All those same people who scold you  
>What they'd give just for the right to hold you<br>_

_From your head down to your toes  
>You're not much, goodness knows<br>But you're so precious to me  
>Sweet as can be<br>Baby of mine  
>Baby of mine<br>_

Silent tears had gathered into Santana's eyes and were threatening to pour down any second. Brittany walked up to her, arms outstretched, and the Latina wrapped her arms around her neck. Brittany held her tightly for a moment and whispered words of comfort as Santana held onto her, nuzzling into the blonde's hair. Brittany reached down for Santana's pinky and led her out of the choir room. Puck smirked at them and whistled as they left the room, receiving a penetrating glare from Santana and an amused look of gratitude from Brittany. Once in the hall, Brittany turned to face Santana again who immediately wrapped her arms around her once again. The blonde pulled away so that she could look into those hazel eyes.

"I'm in love with you Santana," she whispered serenely.

"I love you too Britt," Santana replied, her emotions getting the better of her as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"But it has to be different this time San," the blonde specified, "I don't want to be your dirty little secret anymore."

"Oh it will be babe, I promise," Santana reassured as she leaned forward so that their foreheads touched.

At that, Brittany leaned down and their lips met. In that instant, the world around them disappeared. Even when the bell rang and students began to fill the corridors, walking by them, staring, sharing stunned glances, Santana and Brittany held onto each other, lost in each other's embrace and in the intoxicating emotion of true love's kiss.


End file.
